Digitalisation has made it much easier to access funds, ETFs, automated portfolios or private projects from small amounts. But more access does not mean less risk.
For anyone starting out, the first decision should not be which platform to use, but what they want to achieve, when they will need the money and how much risk they can take. Only then does it make sense to choose the type of investment and the right tool to access it.
The platform is the intermediary. It does not replace the strategy or automatically make an investment suitable.
If you have not yet defined that basis, you can consult our guide on how to build an investment strategy step by step.
Three types of platforms worth distinguishing
Platforms for investing in funds or ETFs
These allow investors to directly buy investment vehicles. Certain broadly diversified funds and ETFs offer exposure to numerous companies, sectors or markets through a single position.
This can make it easier to build a simple portfolio, although neither a fund nor an ETF is diversified by definition. There are sector-specific, thematic or highly concentrated products.
In this model, the platform provides access, but it is usually the investor who decides what to buy.
If you want to explore this further, we have already explained how to start investing in ETFs and combine them with real estate.
Automated managers
So-called roboadvisors build and manage a portfolio based on the client’s profile and objectives, usually through funds or ETFs.
Here, the investor delegates asset selection and, usually, rebalancing. When investment advice or portfolio management is provided, the entity must assess whether the proposal is suitable for the client.
That analysis provides protection, but it does not prevent the portfolio from losing value.
Crowdfunding platforms
They allow investors to participate in private projects. In real estate, transactions can be structured through debt or equity without the need to buy an entire property.
In debt, the investor finances the developer in exchange for an agreed interest if the loan is repaid as expected. In equity, the investor participates in the outcome of the project.
These investments usually have lower liquidity than funds or ETFs. Capital may remain committed for months or years, and timelines may be extended.
You can learn more about this model in our guide on how to invest in real estate crowdlending.
What to check before choosing a platform
Rather than looking for a supposed “best platform”, it is worth reviewing some basic criteria.
1. What activity it carries out and who regulates it
It is not enough for a website to say it is “regulated”.
You need to check which entity is behind it, what activity it is authorised to provide and who supervises it.
In crowdfunding, for example, supervision of the platform does not mean that the regulator approves each project or guarantees the repayment of capital or the return.
2. What you are actually buying
Before investing, you should be able to answer four questions:
- What do I own?
- How can it generate a return?
- What could make me lose money?
- When will I be able to recover the capital?
The interface may look similar, but buying a fund, an ETF or financing a real estate project involves very different risks.
Costs: looking beyond “€0 per transaction”
A platform may advertise commission-free transactions and yet the investment may still have costs.
It is worth reviewing:
- buying and selling;
- custody;
- management;
- currency exchange;
- withdrawal;
- and the product’s internal expenses.
The relevant cost is the total cost of investing, not just what the app charges directly.
With small amounts, moreover, fixed fees weigh proportionally more.
Liquidity: when you will be able to recover the money
Liquidity varies greatly depending on the product.
An ETF can be sold on the market, although its price may be below the purchase price. A fund allows investors to request redemption according to its terms. In crowdfunding, by contrast, there is usually no liquid secondary market.
That is why a platform should not be assessed only by how easy it makes investing, but also by how and when it allows you to exit.
In the case of real estate crowdfunding, we have already explained how to manage liquidity in illiquid projects.
Custody and operational security
It is also worth knowing what happens to the money and assets once the investment has been made.
Before opening an account, it is worth checking who holds the assets in custody, how client money is kept separate and what would happen if the platform itself stopped operating.
Regulation establishes different protection mechanisms depending on the service, but none eliminates the economic risk of the investment.
Do not choose based on the return shown by the platform
One of the easiest mistakes to make when starting out is comparing platforms solely by the return figures shown on their website.
But the return belongs to the investment, not to the platform.
It is also necessary to distinguish between:
- historical return;
- target return;
- contractual interest;
- actual realised result.
A target IRR is not an achieved IRR. And agreed interest does not eliminate the risk of default.
A good platform should not push you to trade more
Ease of use is positive, but it can become a problem if it encourages impulsive decisions.
Constantly buying and selling, chasing the asset that has risen the most or obsessively checking the portfolio can move the investor away from their strategy.
The user experience should simplify management, not encourage more trading than necessary.
Having accounts on several apps is not the same as diversifying either. Diversification depends on the assets and economic risks in the portfolio, not on the number of platforms used.
The platform is the tool, not the strategy
There is no single platform suitable for all beginners.
Someone who wants to select funds or ETFs needs different tools from someone who prefers to delegate a portfolio or participate in private projects.
Before choosing, it is worth checking what products the platform offers, what regulation applies to it, how much it costs, what liquidity it provides and what information it offers about risks.
A platform can make investing easier. What it cannot do is replace a prior strategy or turn an unsuitable investment into a good decision.
